Basketball
Heat sign All Star
24 June 2007
The BBL Champion Guildford Heat have pulled off one of the signings of the Summer after securing the services of last season's leading rebounder in the BBL: Carlton Aaron.
Aaron joins from the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders and was MVP of their BBL Trophy Final success at the MetroRadio Arena in March, scoring 25 points and snatching 12 rebounds in the game. The New Yorker also won a place on the BBL All-Star Team 2006/07, alongside new Heat teammates Brian Dux and Mike Martin, after averaging 16.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game last season.
The 6'9" centre admitted that it was hard to leave the South Coast, but is looking forward to competing in European competition with the Heat. Speaking from Korean Basketball League tryouts in Las Vegas, he said,
"It hurts to be leaving Plymouth, but I had to try out some other opportunities beyond Britain and Gary (Stronach) didn't want to wait. Regardless, I'm so thankful to PJ and the Heat organisation for sticking with me and letting me take my chance. Now, with playing in Europe I get to test myself against some of the best players in the world. I couldn't be happier."
Heat Head coach Paul James had this to say, "I took a calculated gamble waiting for Carlton, but it was a gamble that was absolutely worth waiting for. Carlton's stats speak for themselves and last season the Heat was not as strong as I would have liked in and around the basket so being able to add the most dominant big man in the league to our roster is just fantastic for everybody involved in the Heat".
The Heat won the BBL Championship and the BBL Cup last season, yet occasionally suffered from a lack of inside presence. By adding the league's dominant centre for the last two seasons, the league champs are sending a message to their rivals here in the UK and those further afield.
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